This invention relates to an automotive power distribution apparatus and an auxiliary terminal for a user optional load.
For the purpose of realizing fuel saving or economic driving, an automotive vehicle is equipped with a fuel economy meter which is capable of displaying a fuel consumption rate on a screen of an instrument panel to let a vehicle driver perceive or confirm the present state of fuel economy indicated by a numerical value.
To save a total fuel amount to be consumed in his/her car, a vehicle driver may intentionally turn off an air-conditioning apparatus or other car-equipped electric loads. In such a case, the vehicle driver watches the fuel economy meter to check the effect of saved fuel. However, the conventional fuel economy meter is chiefly designed to indicate the performance of an internal combustion engine. The conventional fuel economy meter cannot provide a clearly understandable indication when the vehicle driver wants to know the fuel saving effect brought by turning off an air-conditioning apparatus or other car-equipped electric loads. In this respect, the conventional fuel economy meter may not be satisfactory for a vehicle driver who has an acute intent to realize efficient power/fuel saving and economy driving.
Furthermore, the conventional fuel economy meter indicates a fuel consumption value converted from a sum of a vehicle driving power and a generated electric power. The car-equipped electric load is driven by electric power generated by a generator or stored in a battery. The change (i.e., activation/deactivation) of each car-equipped electric load does not immediately reflect as a change in the fuel consumption. Regardless of driver's intent, other vehicular electric loads may be temporarily or intermittently turned off or deactivated when an automotive vehicle is traveling. Hence, it was very difficult for a vehicle driver to exactly know the fuel saving effect brought by turning off an air-conditioning apparatus or other car-equipped electric loads.